Investigating the dynamic response and milling performance of solution-treated and aged maraging steel

Maraging steel is a ‘critical material’ in the field of aerospace and high-end machinery. Its processing significance lies in breaking through the contradiction between ultra-high strength and machinability, realizing the performance limit through multi-process coordination, and supporting the reliability improvement of key components. In this paper, the dynamic mechanical behavior of solution treatment and aging treatment, and the CNC milling performance of maraging steel are systematically studied. The sensitivity of the material to strain rate and temperature was revealed by split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments, which showed that the aging treatment significantly improved the dynamic strength by nano-precipitates, while the solution treatment showed obvious softening characteristics at high temperature. The milling experiment compares the chip morphology, cutting force, and surface integrity of the two states. It is found that the aging state has a conical spiral shape due to the strengthening effect of the precipitated phase, the surface roughness is better, and the cutting force is dominated by the cutting depth. The solid solution state is prone to spiral chips and surface scratches due to high plasticity. The finite element simulation further verifies the higher stress distribution and cutting force trend in the aging process. The research provides theoretical support for the heat treatment process design and precision machining parameter optimization of the material.